TFP: Hidden Demons
by queenpearl
Summary: Written for the episode "Evolution". The sight of the dead Predacons brings back old memories Megatronus Prime would rather not relive.


_"Megatronus!" came a cry. Megatronus looked up seeing Ratchet walking up to him. The medic had been called in to quickly analyze the remains of any Predacon he could find. "Step aside." the medic's right servo became a surgical scalpel._

 _Megatronus crouched defensively in front of the sparkling. "No!" He growled, both servos becoming swords._

 _"Megatronus, that sparkling is too badly damaged to ever be repaired. It is better to put it out of its misery." Ratchet said._

 _"No, I won't allow it!" Megatronus snarled. "I've seen their species die off once. I won't see it again!"_

 _"Megatronus, Ratchet is correct." Optimus said as he came forward. There was a hint of sympathy in his gaze._

 _"I don't care if your lapdog is correct Optimus!" Megatronus snarled, optics blazing with orange fire. "I have seen their kind go extinct before. A long time ago, during the Great Cataclysm. And the worst part was, they could've been helped. All they needed was to learn how to go into stasis lock. I tried to help them as best I could but Prima refused to let the beasts roam free any longer. He watched as their kind died off to the last bot. Genocide, cold-blooded murder! And you-you're no better than he is!" He advanced on Ratchet. "You call yourself a medic, you're a murderer! I hope your recharge cycles are interrupted you sick sadist!" He snarled._

 _Ratchet took a step back, his blue optics wide with shock and hurt._

 _Optimus placed a comforting hand on Megatronus' shoulder and led him away. Megatronus visibly flinched as the sound of Ratchet's sword extinguishing the sparkling echoed in his audio receptors._

 _..._

Megatronus' knuckles throbbed as he gazed at the dent in the wall they'd just made. He clenched his fist as a low feral growl escaped him. He knew Ratchet was right to do what he did but that didn't do anything to relieve the hurt he felt saying such awful things to the medic.

"Curse my soft spark!" He scolded himself, clenching his right servo into a fist.

Heavy pedfalls behind him gave him warning before Optimus placed a servo on his shoulder plating. "Something troubles you." He rumbled gently.

Megatronus sighed. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't lived so long." He replied. "The things I've seen, done and witnessed others do."

"The loss of the Predacons was not your doing." Optimus reassured him.

"I know that." Megatronus sighed. "But it's not what I've done that troubles me. It's what I didn't do."

Optimus was quiet for a moment before replying "I understand."

"The things I said, how can he ever forgive me for it?" Megatronus asked.

"There have been times in the past in which I have thought Ratchet could never forgive me for something I had done. But Ratchet is more forgiving than most give him credit for." Optimus replied.

"I will try." Megatronus relented.

...

A few kilks later, Megatronus found himself standing at the entrance to Ratchet's medbay. The bot was hunched over the monitor, focused intently on the task in front of him.

At first Megatronus assumed Ratchet wasn't aware of his presence until the medic said "How long are you just going to stand there? You can either come in all the way or leave. It's your choice."

Megatronus sighed and entered all the way. "Ratchet, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted today. That was completely irresponsible and insensitive of me."

Ratchet waved a hand at him. "You were under extreme stress, it's understandable." He replied.

Megatronus didn't buy it. "I never should've called you a murderer. You are anything but."

"Am I?" Ratchet snorted. "You were right you know. All but one Predacon remains now because of me. Even if the sparkling wasn't able to fully heal it could've still been useful to us if raised properly but I lacked the foresight to see it unlike you."

"I wasn't thinking about what it could do for us. I just was thinking of the last time the Predacons went extinct. It's an event I did not wish to see again." Megatronus replied, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"For that, I am sorry." Ratchet sighed.

"You did the right thing." Megatronus said.

"I'm sorry?" The mech turned to face him.

"You did the right thing, extinguishing that sparkling. You were right Ratchet, it wouldn't have lived long anyway even with the best medic of Cybertron at our disposal."

"Now you're flattering me." Ratchet snorted, optics narrowing slightly in suspicion.

"I mean it!" Megatronus exclaimed. "How many times have you patched everyone up? You're a miracle worker, doc."

"Please don't call me doc!" Ratchet grumbled.

"As you wish, sunshine." Megatronus said with a smirk.

"Remind me the next time I see Wheeljack to offline him!" Ratchet growled.

"Now that's more like the Ratchet I know." Megatronus smirked, ducking to avoid a wrench thrown at his head.

Ratchet stood there with servos clinched, denta grinding together. "You've made your apologies now GET OUT OF MY MEDBAY!" He roared.

Megatronus wasted no time leaving in a hurry. Ratchet rolled his optics, fighting a smile as he turned back to his work.

"You are forgiven Megatronus. Completely and unconditionally forgiven." He murmured as the mech left.

Megatronus, hearing this, smiled.


End file.
